Lion's Song by Roronoa Zoro, otherwise known as "Shishi Sonson" in Japanese or "Death Lion Song" in some English localizations, is one of the many strong techniques in his One Sword Style arsenal in the One Piece series. It is an extremely fast and strong cut, so in a sense, it is one of the most memorable and effective of Zoro's attacks.
The officially licensed Japanese name of the technique, "Ittoryu Iai: Shishi Sonson" (), literally means "One Sword Style Re-sheath: Lion's Song". Using "Iai" in the name alludes to a Japanese sword-drawing art; it focuses on quick draw and re-sheathing actions.
While performing the Lion's Song, Zoro assumes a stance. He places both his hands in front of him with his sword held horizontally and his head slightly tilted. Zoro presses his sword between his palms to bundle up power right before the strike. This preparatory stance is important for the power and speed of the technique.
Performance of the Lion's Song is very fast; it may appear to be just one slash, instantaneously done, to the naked eye. He quickly draws his sword, strikes powerfully, and resheathes the blade all in one movement. Its high speed is what makes this technique so hard to defend against, as many opponents don't have time to react.
Probably the most impressive display of its real power came during the Dressrosa arc when Zoro easily carved his way right through Pica's enormous stone body using the Lion's Song. This example depicts how this technique might cut through not only flesh but also very compact materials like stone and even metal. Other than these facts, the Lion's Song has been able to be useful against that high-caliber Tekkai used by the CP9 agents, further proving its slicing capability.
The Lion's Song has been featured many times in One Piece recently, especially during the Wano Country arc. In episode 1059, Zoro attempted to use the Death Lion Song against King, who stands among Kaido's top commanders. This usage shows how the technique has remained relevant for Zoro to this date against very powerful foes in the New World.
Worth noting, however, is that as powerful as the Lion's Song is, it does not grant one-hit victory. In the very aforementioned battle against King, for example, the attack was quite tanked by him, showing just how durable the high-tier opponents in the One Piece world are. This instance shows how the challenges Zoro faces have changed with time as he faces more powerful foes.
The Lion's Song has also made appearances in a few One Piece video games, including the "Pirate Warriors" series and "Jump Force." Here, it often appears as one of the signature moves for Zoro and allows players to feel the power of its mighty strokes. This has been adopted into interactive media, further solidifying its position as one of Zoro's most recognizable attacks.
The anime's depiction of Lion's Song has cemented its place as an instant fan favorite. Beautiful, high-quality 4K renditions of the technique from recent episodes have been shared and spoken about in the One Piece community, showcasing its beauty and the quality animation of recent arcs.
Zoro has used the Lion's Song against several enemies throughout the series to show his constant growth as a swordsman. First used by him during his CP9 fight with Kaku, it has remained in active use up until his recent battles in the Wano Country arc. The technique thus appears in key fights consistently across different story arcs, and it's something the fans look out for.